Tembec quits feed binding agents supply

Ohio, US-based Tembec Inc., a manufacturer of binding
agents for the feed industry and known primarily for wood products, has quietly
pulled out of the feed business.

The move came after the US Food and Drug Administration found that products
made in Ohio contained unapproved additives including melamine, which has been
linked to cat and dog deaths from tainted pet food.

The withdrawal from
the feed business "is a process that occurred months ago," Tembec spokeswoman
Tracy Dottori she said. "We have no comment. It's over and done
with."

The company did not publicly disclose the decision to withdrawal
from the feed business.

The FDA's official warning letter to Tembec
acknowledges that on June 29, Tembec said it was recalling all feed-binding
agents shipped since February 2004 because of the presence of
melamine.

And that the plant "has decided to permanently discontinue
manufacturing any products regulated by the FDA."

Most of the feed made
with Tembec's binders was used on shrimp farms outside the US. The binder was a
minor part of a minor part, so the concentrations are very low," another
spokesman for Tembec said.

He was quoted as saying. "We believed that
for the intended uses, we were making a complaint product."